Lammy,
Why do you want to go to the ITIL expert level? Just because you get a nice, fancy badge? This maybe has also an influence.

If you want and need to understand v2 because your organisation/customer are using these than this has an impact, too. If you want to learn it "the hard way" maybe the steps over the practitioner could be an alternative, as normally training is very "practical oriented" ...

My 2ct_________________Michael B.

"I can't say it'll be better if it changes, but I can say it has to change to be good"
G.C. Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

There is now a cheaper alternative of the v3 road. It costs approx. €10.000 including accomodation, meals, snacks, drinks and even a course in golf in a five star resort. It can be done in two blocks of each 8 days. The first block is based on the sylabus of the lifecycle courses SS, SD and ST. The next block SO, CSI and MATLC. The exams are then done approx. 4 weeks later, so you have time for home study.

re the exam format, it depends on your learning style imho. The V3 multiple choice questions are not easy, there is lots of ambiguity in the questions (ie 2 answers very close to each other) so you really have to know what the right answer is in ITIL speak.
But if you write an essay, you can show that you understand the subject matter and how to relate it (I have not done a V2 essay exam so tell me if I am talking carp).
I always do better in exams where I have to write stuff.
Fish puns have already been done, so we don't need to go down that line again, OK?_________________DYbeach
ITIL V3 Release, Control & Validation,
ITIL V3 Operation SUpport & Analysis
PMI CAPM (R)

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act." George Orwell